iPad 2 and iPhone 5: The Speculation Grows Louder

Written by Dave Courbanou 1
January 17, 2011

In the past, I've avoided the temptation to speculate too much about Apple's future plans. After all, I was wrong about the iPhone coming to Verizon in the CDMA format. Now, chatter and speculation about the iPad 2, iOS 4.3 and iPhone 5 are growing louder and louder.

In the past, I’ve avoided the temptation to speculate too much about Apple’s future plans. After all, I was wrong about the iPhone coming to Verizon in the CDMA format. Now, chatter and speculation about the iPad 2, iOS 4.3 and iPhone 5 are growing louder and louder. So I can’t avoid the temptation to weigh in with my own thoughts. Here’s where I think Apple is heading for the rest of 2011…

Over the weekend, MacRumors.com reported that the iPad 2 will likely have 2048×1536 resolution. That’s 1024×768 doubled and that’s the same thing Apple did with the iPhone 4, by taking the 430×320 resolution, and jumping it to 960×640. Assuming iPad 2 delivers 2048×1536 resolution, the retina display that blows any tablet on the market out of the water, especially if the DPI is on par with the iPhone 4. I’d imagine it viewing it would be like looking at a living piece of paper.

Also of note: The iOS 4.3 developer beta has turned up files with resolution sizes matching the alleged doubled up iPad. The resolution is on par with what most high-end GPUs today support.

Meanwhile, Engadget suggests the iPhone 5 will supposedly get a complete redesign, along with the new Apple TV (yes, already) since they’re set to include a rumored “A5” Apple SoC CPU. That CPU, — according to Engadget — can churn through 1080p video no problem, and that’s exactly the kind of chip would also be able to drive a retina display on an iPad. What’s more, iOS 4.3 files suggest super-powered GPU support is coming soon. The rumors continue that Apple may even be including an SD card slot, but for whether it’s media expansion or just copying photos is yet to be determined.

If Apple does unveil an iPad 2 with stunning specs, I’m going to assume anything even remotely conceivable in the future can be made real if Apple backs it. Also, Apple keeps the price point at $499 for a basic iPad 2 model, it’ll could very well make competition difficult for all the CES 2011 tablet hopefuls.

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